Boat for sport or recreation



Feb. 23, 1965 s. DEUTSCH 3,170,435

BOAT FOR SPORT QR RECREATION Filed July 2, 1963 I s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR SIMON DEUTSCH Feb. 23, 1965 s. DEUTSCH 3,170,436

BOAT FOR SPORT OR RECREATION Filed July 2, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmm mmhz az Z .I I I g 4 INVENTOR SIMON DEUTSCH Feb. 23, 1965 s. DEUTSCH BOAT FOR SPORT 0R RECREATION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 O jy. 6

Filed July 2, 1963 imam-0R smow osurscu United States Patent Office BJYAdfi Patented Feb. 23, 1965 1 Claim. (Cl. 115-41 This invention appertains to boats, and more particularly to a small sized boat utilized for sport and recreation, and one in which the occupant can operate the boat from either a prone, sitting or standing position.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a boat for sport purposes embodying a light, low draft hull for skipping over the surface of a body of water, having mounted therein at midships a suitable motor and propeller for driving the boat, with means for controlling the motor and direction of movement of the boat.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a boat having an inner core molded from foam (preferably polyurethane), and an outer smooth, tough skin formed from a fiberglass plastic compound, with means mounted in the hull at the time of the molding thereof and forming a direct part thereof, for receiving and supporting the driving engine, with the engine in close contact with the hull to provide a boat having a low center of gravity.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a sleeve of a certain shape and size molded in the boat hull at midships and opening out through the top and bottom thereof for receiving and supporting the driving engine, propeller, etc., and having means for quickly and detachably securingthe-engine to the sleeve, whereby when the boat is in use the engine will be firmly mounted thereof and when the boat is not in use the engine can be quickly removed therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means for connecting the engine with the sleeve so that a watertight seal will be had, and thus prevent the creeping of water through the sleeve and onto the deck of the boat.

Another still further object of the invention is to pro vide means for hingedly and resiliently mounting and connecting the engine with the sleeve so that, if an obstruction is encountered by the lower part of the engine during the travel of the boat, the engine will be permitted to give and swing back against the tension of the resilient means and thus lessen the possibility of engine breakage and damage.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a small boat for sport purposes which will be economical to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the improved boat, parts of the boat being shown broken away and in section to illustrate structural detail;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the mounting sleeve molded in the hull of the boat and means for detachably connecting the engine to the sleeve;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the adaptor in plan and means for securing the motor and accessories to the sleeve;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating the position of the adaptor within the sleeve;

FIGURE Sis a detailfragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view being on a still larger scale than FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but showing a modified form of mounting the engine in the boat, so that the engine will have a limited swinging action if an obstruction is encountered; and

FIGURE 7 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter B generally indicates the novel boat and the same includes a hull 10, a driving engine 11, and means 12 for detachably securing the engine to the hull at a point intermediate the ends thereof.

As heretofore brought out, the hull is formed from light, buoyant material and is of an extremely low draft, so that the same can skip over the surface of a body of water. The hull '10 includes a core 13 molded from polyurethane foam or similar foam material. This core is completely covered and encased by an outer skin 14 formed from a tough, smooth material such as fiberglass plastic. The upper surface of the hull is scooped out or depressed between the stern and bow thereof to provide a small cockpit 15.

The engine 11 is of the internal combustion type of a selected size and horsepower and is mounted on an elongated adaptor 16 by screws 17 which extend through the engine casing into the top of the adaptor. The engine can be covered by a removable, ornamental housing 18 and the housing is slotted to permit the entrance of air for the cooling of the engine. The adaptor 16, in elfect, forms a part of the engine and provides a casing for the vertical propeller shaft 19 and bearing sleeve 20', as well as a water pump and its accessories, not shown. The adaptor is of a substantially oval shape in crosssection, and has bolted to its lower end, as at 21, a propeller shaft casing 22. The casing 22 carries the propeller 23 and the propeller with its shaft is connected through suitable gearing to the engine shaft 19.

The adaptor 16 adjacent to its upper end is provided with a horizontally disposed outwardly extending flange 24 which is adapted to overlie the top surface of the hull of the boat. This fiange' 24 is provided at suitable points with openings 25, the purpose of which will later appear.

The means 12 for detachably securing the engine 11 in position on the boat, includes a mounting sleeve 25. This sleeve is also of a substantially oval shape in crosssection and has an interior diameter slightly greater than the exterior diameter of the adaptor 16. The sleeve 26 includes upper and lower outstanding peripheral flanges 27 and 28. The mounting sleeve with its flanges is molded into the hull 10 at the time of the forming thereof and thus the sleeve and its flanges form in effect a direct part of the hull. The sleeve opens out through the top and bottom of the hull. The top flange 27 is provided with internally threaded openings 29 at spaced points.

As heretofore brought out, the engine 11 is bolted directly to the extreme upper end of the adaptor 16, and when the boat is to be used, the adaptor 16 is slipped through the sleeve 26 until the flange 24 of the adaptor rests upon the upper surface of the flange 27. At this time, hand screws 30 are slipped through the openings 25 and are then threaded into the openings 29. A sealing gasket 31 is placed around the upper end of the sleeve and upon the tightening of the hand screws the sealing gasket is compressed and a watertight connection is had between the adaptor and the sleeve.

The sleeve 26 in conjunction with the adaptor forms an admirable means for detachably mounting the engine in place with the engine located-in close; proximity to the hull. By removing the screws 30, the. engine. and its accessories canbe quickly detached from the hull.

The hull also has mounted thereon a rudder 32 adjacent to therear end thereof. Also carried by the hull adjacent to the engine is a steering wheel or tiller 33, The tiller is operatively connected to therudder in any desired manner, such as by the use of a pulley and pulley wheels. If desired, the pulley and pulley wheels can becountersunk within the floor of the cockpit.

Due to the light weight of the boat and its low draft the engine is capable of driving the hull over the surface of a body of water at a considerable speed, and the occupant can either lie down on the boat or sit or stand thereon.

The boat tends to skip over the surface of the water and thus provides a maximum amount of sport and enjoyment for the user. I

In FIGURES 6 and 7, I have illustrated a modified form of mounting the engine in the boat, so that the engine and its associated parts will have a limited swinging motion, if an obstruction is encountered, during the travel of the boat so as to lessen the likelihood of injury to the lower part of the engine. In this form of my invention,,I also employ a sleeve 34 which corresponds to the sleeve 26 in that form of my inventionas shown in FIGURES 1 to 5. The sleeve 34 is also molded in the hull of the boat during the construction of the hull and the sleeve at its rear end is slightly inclined and curved rearwardly, as at 35, for a purpose which will now appear. In lieu of bolting the adaptor Into the top flange of the sleeve 34, I hingedly mount the adaptor on the sleeve by means of a removable pivot pin 35. This pivot pin is located at the front end of the adaptor 16, and the adaptor at its rear end is provided with an enlarged opening 37. Anchored to the hull of the boat and to the top flange of the sleeve 3d is a rearwardly curved guide bolt 38. This bolt 38 extends through the opening 37 of the adaptor and the bolt has coiled thereabout an expansion coil spring 39. The a lower end of the spring bears against the adaptor and the upper end of the spring bears against the adjustable and removable winged nut 48, threaded on the upper end of the bolt. Thus the spring 39 functions to normally 'hold the lower face of the adaptor down against the sleeve into intimate contact therewith and the engine and its associated parts in approximate vertical position.

The sleeve carries a rubber gasket 41 and this gasket closely embraces the adaptor and this gasket will give upon rearward movement of the engine.

It can be seen that if the lower end of the engine and its associated parts hit an obstruction, that the engine and parts can swing back to the' dotted line position shown in FIGURES against the tension of the spring39. This resilient mountingof the engine and the rearward move ment thereof will lesserrthelikelihood of damage to the I engine and associated parts if an obstruction is encountered. The sleeve34 is curved rearwardly, as at 35, to permit this rearward swinging movement ofthe. engine and its associated parts. 7

It might be n0ted,that while I have shown the in: vention and its, associated parts mounted near. the forward end of the 'hull, itshould be understood that the. engine, its adaptor and mounting sleeve'can be positioned at any desired point intermediate the ends of the hull.

Changes in details maybe made, without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, butjwhat I claim as new is: l

A boat comprising a light weight, shallow draft. hull provided with a vertical opening intermediate its ends and extending completely therethrough, a mounting sleeve extending through said opening and rigidly connected'with the hull and forming a part thereof, and a tie-mountable engine including a vertically disposed drive shaft and an adaptor enclosing the drive shaft and rigidly connectedwith the engine and extending entirely through the sleeve, means pivotally securing the adaptor to the upper and forward end of the sleeve. to permit tilting movement of the engine and adaptor, a curved bolt rigidly carried by the upper rear end. of the sleeve and extending through a part of the adaptor, an expansion spring coiled around the bolt and. engaging the upper face of a part of the adaptor, and a nut threaded on the upper end of the bolt and forming a stop for the upper end of the spring whereby thexspring normally exerts a pressure -on:the adaptor to hold the same against the sleeve and against tilting movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

1,737,180 Willis Nov. 26, 1929 2,368,885 Schmetter Feb. 6, 1945 2,633,817 Pedranti Apr. 7, 1953 r 2,682,854 Cohen ,j July6, 1954 2,949,879 Kehn ,Aug. 23, 1960 3,073,279 Moody Jan. 15, 1963 

